“The online library helps me to stay current on in-depth issues and research for my profession,” says Tim Fallon.
Four years ago, after losing much of his sight in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, Timothy Fallon, a former First Lieutenant in the U.S. Marines, learned about Bookshare at the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital.
“The staff and the program at Hines for visually-impaired veterans are great,” he said. “They take the time to get to know their clients and knew that I wanted to return to college. They encouraged me to sign up for a Bookshare membership that is free to any U.S. student with a qualifying print disability, including veterans.
Today, Tim is an experienced analyst and economist for the U.S. Department of Defense. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. For many of his postsecondary courses, Tim downloaded textbooks and journals from Bookshare to read on his smart phone using the Voice Dream Reader app. An example of a book that he needed for class is A Savage War of Peace by Alistair Horn. Tim found it in Bookshare.
“The library easily has the largest selection of accessible reading materials available today,” he says. “I like the collection’s diversity from general to specific titles, and I appreciate that any time a member requests a book for their own use the book is added to the library and available to all members. This process causes a snowball effect for readers to do a deep dive into any topic. You would be surprised at the range of titles you can find in the library.”
To stay current in his field, Tim downloads complex research and government publications. His interests range from the economy and regional issues to books on security, the military, and congressional and government documents. Tim also reads monographs and reports from the RAND Corporation, a global policy think tank. These reports present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors including executive summaries, technical documentation, and synthesis pieces.
“Employers expect workers to stay current on the issues to maintain our professional fields of interest,” said Tim. “Bookshare’s library empowers me for my career and for recreational reading. There are topics for anyone to get smart and bestsellers for everyone to enjoy.”
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